Trends and Current Situation of China's Meat Sector

ABSTRACT As the world's largest meat producer, consumer, and importer, China's meat sector has undergone profound transformation over the past decade, driven by biological crises (e.g., African Swine Fever), environmental policies, and global market integration. This study analyzes the sector's production restructuring, consumption diversification, and import dynamics. Production experienced 3 phases: a decline (2015–2020) due to environmental regulations and ASF, a recovery with industrial consolidation (post‐2020), and a surplus (2023 onwards). Pork's share in total meat output fell from 66.0% (2014) to 58.3% (2024), while poultry, beef, and mutton showed sustained growth in their production. Consumption shifted toward diversification, and increased demand for poultry, beef, and mutton driven by income increase, urbanization, and health awareness. In imports, beef became the largest category amid a supply‐demand gap, while pork imports dropped post‐domestic recovery. Poultry exports grew due to industrial integration. Future development will focus on scaling, standardization, and sustainability, addressing challenges like market concentration and import impacts to balance supply and demand.